t follows a storyline involving Leanne Battersby and AI

Coronation Street fans are convinced that Deirdre Barlow could make a return to TV screens, but viewers have said they would ‘stop watching’ if so. Deirdre, played by Anne Kirkbride, was one of the ITV show’s most iconic characters, making her first appearance back in 1972.

Recognised by her distinctive voice and oversized glasses, she soon became a Weatherfield legend. Her rollercoaster life included a fling with a younger man, tying the knot with Ken Barlow (played by William Roache) not once but twice, and coping with her killer kid Tracy (acted out by Kate Ford), giving viewers a mix of drama and entertainment over the years.

Deidre made her last appearance on the show on October 8, 2014 before Anne took a leave of absence. Following a battle with breast cancer, Anne tragically passed away in January 2015. Deirdre’s off-screen death from a brain aneurysm happened the same year while she was at her mate Bev Unwin’s place, the Daily Star reports.

But fans think she could pop up again as a chilling plotline unfolds with Jane Danson’s Leanne Battersby at the centre. This year, Leanne got lured into the dodgy “self-help” gang run by the creepy Rowan (Emrhys Cooper).

Then it turned out Leanne was chatting to an AI digital version of her late son, Oliver, whipped up by The Institute. Lately, Leanne’s been getting Amy Barlow (Elle Mulvaney) involved with the group, and the young’un seems quite taken by it all.

In the latest episode, aired on July 20, Amy was shown a computer-generated version of her half-brother by Leanne, which left her utterly horrified and storming off. But Corrie viewers are speculated that an AI version of Amy’s gran, Deirdre, might be on the cards, and let’s just say they’re not chuffed about it.

Reddit has been ablaze with comments, with one user posting: “As soon as they mentioned Deirdre, I was like please god no, not an AI Deirdre! “.

Another fan was absolutely livid, saying: “That’s the point I would stop watching. Anne Kirkbride died long before actors could sign up for the technology.” A third fan predicted a meltdown for Amy, stating: “I swear if they show Amy AI Deirdre I think that might actually tip Amy over the edge she’s already freaked by Oliver.”

Over on Twitter, the reactions were just as strong, with tweets flying in like: “WTF the AI kid is back. They best not AI Deirdre.” Others chimed in with: “I thought we was about to get AI Deirdre.” And the conversation kept going with replies like: “Perhaps we still will…..”